The Image
by silvercross
Summary: [chapter 5 up] Hanamichi's decision to change his image had given him more than what he hoped for--respect, popularity and tons of girl and boy admirers. But was it really a good thing? (main pairing: RuHana)
1. Eins

The Image  
  
Standard disclaimers apply  
  
+ + +  
  
The two-wheeler continued its even movement until it came in contact with a small bump on the road. Sapphire-blue eyes jerked open, rousing its owner from his peaceful slumber. He glared at no one in particular, irritated at the thought that he had nobody to blame for that incident. At least he was almost in school already.  
  
As soon as he entered the gates, he was greeted with the usual sight. It was a normal day at Shohoku high -- girls chatting loudly while laughing with each other; boys goofing around, some talking about girls and stuff; the others if not studying, were quietly reading something or engaged in some deep conversation. He eyed the groups warily and noted that the one he was looking for was yet to come. The raven-haired boy regarded the scene before him with much distaste, the air of indifference slowly engulfing his form once again. 'Without the do'ahou, everything seems so dull...' he admitted in his mind.  
  
Loud gasps suddenly disrupted his thoughts of the redhead, and he found himself curiously seeking for the source of disruption. The students around him had their mouths dropped open, seemingly gaping at something... or someone who had just entered the premises. It sparked his interest and he turned around to where everyone was directing their gaze.  
  
His eyes widened in shock.  
  
There, entering the gates was someone all too familiar, yet not in some ways.. in new ways for that matter. Chocolate-brown hair was swaying in rhythm with the person's strides and fell naturally on the sides of his face. 'Wait a minute... brown?!?! And straight?!?!'  
  
Despite his surprise, his gaze towards the boy never faltered. The boy's current haircut was almost the same as his, he noted, only a little longer. The boy's face hadn't changed much because of that, but what struck him most was the other's eyes and expression. It no longer held the look of egotism, nor challenge, but something else. Something, the blue-eyed boy thought, very familiar... something akin to his.  
  
The boy had the same face that held nothing. Expressionless... unfeeling... the boy was mirroring him.  
  
"I-Is that S-Sakuragi?", someone from the crowd of students asked shakily.  
  
Sakuragi. Somehow, he found it hard to associate that name with the person currently walking towards them. It seemed so... off.  
  
He noticed that Youhei and the others were trailing behind the boy; their expressions not far from most of the students and him. They were exchanging glances and looking at the boy every now and then.  
  
The aforementioned boy didn't freeze on his tracks even when almost the whole school's population gaped at him in a mixture of shock, confusion and disbelief. The usual cold, blue eyes which were now flooded with unknown feelings, followed the boy's direction intently. He didn't turn around even as a familiar voice came from behind him.  
  
"Whoa, Rukawa.. tell me I'm dreaming. That's not the redhead monkey we just saw right?" Mitsui asked, his gaze also unfaltering.  
  
"I must say it's quite a surprise, ne Akagi?" The vice-captain of Shohoku basketball team piped in. Kogure Kiminobu had his eyes also fixed on the the redhead. The one beside him just nodded in agreement, seemingly dazed at the unusual sight. Even the captain of Shohoku basketball team couldn't contain his shock. Sakuragi Hanamichi was always too full of surprises.  
  
"Hah, I bet he's still the same loud-mouthed monkey we know. His appearance may have changed, but that doesn't mean he's less of a baka than he was before!" Mitsui said in an amused tone.  
  
Akagi Takenori closed his eyes in thought. 'What's that idiot up to now? If he gets any ideas involving my sister I swear I'll punch that hollow head of his until it deflates!'  
  
As if knowing what Akagi was thinking (that and the obvious veins that have magically appeared somewhere on the captain's forehead), Kogure lifted a hand and rested it on his friend's shoulder.  
  
"Ah.. I'm sure Sakuragi means well. Let's ask him later why he suddenly decided to change his appearance, it would save us from jumping to conclusions and the like." The bespectacled boy said reassuringly.  
  
Mitsui snorted and shook his head. "Knowing the baka, he'll probably laugh out loud and tell us, 'Ahahaha! The tensai thought that his appearance should go well with his abilities! After all, a talented and intelligent guy like me must be perfect in every aspect!', and then laugh and laugh some more." The three-pointer shook his head again. "I don't even want to think about it.." He grimaced at the idea.  
  
Unbeknownst to them, a raven-haired boy was feeling undeniably perplexed but still managed to maintain his composure. He turned to his teammates and spoke in his usual, cold voice.  
  
"It's not the only thing that has changed."  
  
The three seniors blinked their eyes in confusion. They looked at him quizically and asked. "What do you mean, Rukawa?"  
  
Before he could reply, someone appeared from nowhere and shouted Sakuragi's name. "Oi, Hanamichi!" Miyagi Ryota called out loud to the boy. He quickened his pace to catch up with his kohai. Finally reaching the 'ex- redhead', he gave him a gentle pat on the back.  
  
"Yo, Hanamichi! What's up with you? What did you do to your hair? I've got to admit they look good though! So you're finally growing up, eh?" Miyagi nudged the boy on the ribs, wiggling his eyebrows in an attempt to embarrass the junior. He was laughing heartily until he heard Sakuragi answer him back. And he didn't expect it at all.  
  
Sakuragi just gave him a humble smile and replied.  
  
"It's nothing Miyagi-senpai. I just decided to change my image, that's all. It's for the best, I guess."  
  
Everyone's jaws had dropped open in bewilderment. All had the same thoughts.. 'Sakuragi... humble?! Miyagi-SENPAI?!?! Change image?!?!'  
  
Akagi, Kogure and Mitsui had been caught off guard as well. They hadn't seen that coming, and it was too much for them. The three of them hadn't noticed that Rukawa was already gone, and had caught up with Miyagi and Sakuragi already. As the pale boy passed by his two teammates, he uttered his usual insult in a low tone. "Do'ahou."  
  
As if the previous scene wasn't enough, the redhead answered his supposedly arch-enemy cheerfully.  
  
"Oh, good morning, Rukawa-san."  
  
'R-Rukawa-SAN?!?! What the hell?!?!'  
  
Miyagi stopped and gave the boy a confused and shocked look. Rukawa on the other hand, froze on his tracks. The way Sakuragi treated them confirmed his fears. The once bouncy, energetic, violent and foolish redhead was now a totally different person.  
  
He didn't like it.  
  
Rukawa turned around, determined to approach his do'ahou and demand an explanation when he saw Sakuragi and his gundan already walking away from them. He was too baffled to even hear Sakuragi excuse himself. He was about to run and catch up with them when Youhei Mito, Sakuragi's bestfriend, suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. Rukawa wanted to speak but the boy's eyes told him otherwise and he realized it would be better to drop the issue for now. Later, he told himself. There would be time later, and he decided he wouldn't go home until he gets an explanation.  
  
tsuzuku   
  
This is actually my first Slam Dunk fic ^_^ I'm sorry if it's not that amazing (you know what I mean ^^;;). Anyway, I'm just trying it for kicks, to see if I'm actually capable of writing a decent SD fic. And yeah, I'm a die-hard RuHanaRu fan ^_^  
  
I'm not really sure when I'll be able to update since I'm always in a slump. Please excuse my poor writing skills -_-;; But I'll try very hard since SD's one of my favorites ^_^ 


	2. Zwei

+ + +

Another flawless fade-away shot and everyone almost forgot their own practice. As if the shocking scene from that morning wasn't enough, Sakuragi displayed his amazing basketball skills like he had been doing it for eternity. They wouldn't have believed it was their 'loud-mouthed redhead' making them gasp and gawk in awe and disbelief. Even Akagi Takenori, a.k.a. 'Gori' couldn't contain his surprise. Sakuragi Hanamichi was _very_ good. Almost like a professional.

Still in a state of shock and amazement, they barely heard Ayako calling them for a break. 

"Good job everyone! Now help yourselves with some refreshments!" The beautiful sophomore called to the team as she clapped cheerfully, signaling the much awaited break. In her 12 months or so as team manageress, she had seen how the Shohoku team improved, especially now that Rukawa and Sakuragi joined them.

Sakuragi.

Ayako had been taken aback at the redhead's sudden change, along with the others. Not only did the boy's appearance change; the childish countenance and annoying antics could no longer be seen as well. It was good that Sakuragi finally took things seriously but somehow, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Shrugging her thoughts off, Ayako continued to distribute the refreshments to the team. She decided she would deal with this later.

He had been watching the boy warily for the last two hours, scrutinizing every move from the boy's chiseled form, every expression from the boy's handsome face, but to no avail. He had been waiting, silently wishing any form of the boy's usual lively and boisterous character to surface every now and then but all his hopes were in vain. Sakuragi had maintained his new image up from the morning until the present; not laughing, not taunting or mocking even once. No "tensai song" either, and it made Rukawa very distressed. 

Akagi's sudden announcement of the team's practice game with Ryonan had disrupted him from his contemplation. The seemingly stoic face had a look of understanding as he listened to the captain's words yet his blue, fox-eyes had been stealing glances from the one beside him. He didn't know if Sakuragi noticed the 'casual' touches he had managed to give the boy when they were on court, or how he deliberately sat close to the boy when they were resting, so close that their shoulders and thighs were brushing. It sent shivers down his spine and if one looked closely, a hint of crimson could be seen tinting the usually ashen face. 

Sakuragi, on the other hand, hadn't done anything or even express any form of unwillingness from the almost-obvious closeness the fox-boy was displaying. Either he hadn't noticed it or plainly ignored everything. Rukawa didn't know what hurt more.

One final word and the captain dismissed them, ordering the appointed cleaners for that day to start with their work as soon as possible so they could finish early. Rukawa silently thanked Kami-sama for pairing him up with Sakuragi on this day. Now he could demand an explanation directly from the redhead, or if he mustered enough guts to confess, then he might tell the boy his feelings as well.

When left alone with each other, Rukawa decided to make his move. "Do'ahou." He tried to make his voice sound apathetic but when Sakuragi turned to look at him, he knew he was defeated. "What's wrong with you?"

The tone was soft and the concern in those words was unmistakable. Rukawa was well aware that showing that side of him would probably invoke a very violent reaction from the boy; something akin to disbelief or feigned fear and perhaps ask him if he had gone nuts; or the boy could just brush it off as something unimaginable and completely dismiss the possiblity of Rukawa actually expressing care for him and then just beat the brains out of the fox-boy.

Any of those would probably be more welcomed than the current feedback he was getting from Sakuragi. The boy tilted his head in understanding, almost childlike, and voiced out a confused reply. "Eh? What do you mean Rukawa-san? Is there any problem?"

Rukawa decided he had had enough. He was getting nowhere waiting for the boy to transform to his usual self. The boy was obviously in denial and he needed a direct answer. And a direct answer would require a direct question.

"That's," he said in gritted teeth as he advanced towards Sakuragi, "one of the problems, do'ahou." He continued. "Referring to me as 'Rukawa-san' is not what I would exactly call _normal_." It was a struggle to keep his temper in control, but he couldn't help putting a slight emphasis on 'normal'.

"You can't fool me. The way you were acting today.. completely different from your usual self." He added. Rukawa had exceeded his quota of one-word-per-sentence but he could have cared less. Exposing himself to Sakuragi was something he had been planning to do for some time now anyway. Now was a good chance as any, he decided.

The reaction he got from that was unexpected though, so much that he was taken aback by the boy's reply. Sakuragi's face had turned grim, the brown eyes narrowed dangerously that he had, for a second or two, doubted if the one before him was the same 'redhead' he knew. The aforementioned boy walked towards him and stopped to lean over his shoulder and whispered coldly at his ear. "That's not any of your fucking business now, is it..?"

At that, Sakuragi turned and sauntered towards the lockers, bringing his mop with him. The stoic lad was left alone in his shock, sweat from the previous practice dripping from his temples to the freshly polished gym floor. He couldn't believe any of it. No. He _refused_ to believe.

But he had to know, had to find out what the hell's up with Sakuragi. It was very wrong.. the way the boy's eyes had flickered dangerously like that as if suddenly, he wasn't a high school student anymore. Sakuragi had looked like he was so ready to finish someone's life in a snap of a finger. It was beyond horrifying for Rukawa to witness that drastic, twisted change the boy had undergone just a minute ago. That was _not_ Sakuragi Hanamichi. Definitely not.

He had to find out the root of this abrupt change before he goes mad. He had failed to get an explanation from the 'redhead', and Youhei Mito was his last resort. He would confront Sakuragi's best friend and force him to spill out everything he knew. Youhei better not defy him or things would get really ugly, he told himself furiously. 

Yes. It was dead-time to pay the guy a visit.

+ + +

The gates, too big and heavy to be opened manually, had been slowly opened in a single push of a button. The long, luxurious car waited as the gates were opened entirely before it moved and finally entered the villa.

The travel was a little long, 200 meters more or less. The path to the main house was lovely; wisteria trees planted along the sides as their long branches blooming with beautiful, purplish flowers hung gracefully, creating a majestic scenery. The grass was fine and cut evenly, the envy of any golf club on the planet. There was a mini forest on the east, just behind the gazebo and small pond.

The young man inside the car enjoyed himself, watching the splendid view before him before the vehicle turned and pulled over by the front steps. The main house was huge, comparable to a palace or perhaps, it could be considered as one. The steps were lined in red carpet, as if anticipating the arrival of the young man. There was a dancing fountain just a few meters after the steps; the carving so intricate and the medium used was of real diamonds that one could only guess its value.

One of the chauffeurs stepped out and opened the door for the young man and guided him to the steps. Men in fancy suits waiting by the steps approached the boy and bowed in respect.

"Obou-sama," The men started as the boy acknowledged their presence, "..your father is waiting for you in his second study. He wishes for you to go there as soon as you arrive." 

The young man regarded them like lowly servants, his eyes cold and piercing. "Sou ka. Take me to him then."

The men bowed again and uttered a soft "wakarimashita" as they escorted him to the mansion.

As they arrived at the door, the men knocked and entered the room. "Migawa-sama, your son is here." They informed the man inside, again with a bow.

The man, who was more or less in his early fifties, looked up and smiled. "Ah yes, bring him here."

"Yes sir." The men ushered the young man and excused themselves from their two masters.

The father and son gazed at each other for a while before finally acknowledging one another. "Otou-san."

"Hanamichi-kun."

Mr. Migawa beckoned his son to come closer and sit by his table. The young man complied and strode towards his father. He sat on a nearby chair, his face detached and serious.

The older man leaned on his table, shifting most of his weight at his elbows and spoke. "So, how was school today?"

Hanamichi didn't look at him. "Fine."

His father smirked, ignoring the boy's reaction or lack thereof and continued his interrogation. "Were they surprised?" The young man tensed at this. "Perhaps 'shocked' is the right term. After all, they had just caught a glimpse of the newly appointed heir to the Migawa--"

"--they _don't_ know that." Hanamichi hissed at the man, cutting him off. Giving his father a burning glare, he added. "And I want it to stay that way."

Instead of a violent reply for his disrespect, Hanamichi had gotten a mocking laugh instead. "Why ever do you want it to stay that way, hm? Are you ashamed of these?" His father stood up and gestured at the rich land just outside his study's window. He looked at Hanamichi with a malicious smile and added, "Everything.. all these will be yours the moment I retire. That is of course, if you act according to the plan." Mr. Migawa moved towards his son and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Hanamichi shoved the hand away and faced his father angrily. "If they only knew how you got all these, you filthy bastard!" He spit out roughly, hands clenched in tight fists.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot all about that." Mr. Migawa returned to his chair and calmly continued. "But we all must make sacrifices to succeed, ne?"

Hanamichi rushed to his father in wrath. "You bastard!!!" He screamed, body shaking in hate and disgust. 

"I would stop right there if I were you."

The young man froze on his tracks as his father eyed him precariously. "Hanamichi," he said in a low, dangerous tone and continued, "we had a deal. If you know what's good for you, conform like your supposed to. If you don't, well, I can always take you there..." Hanamichi shuddered at those words. He didn't want to remember any of it anymore, didn't want to recall any of his previous life. He stared up at his father with helpless, pleading eyes. He didn't know when he started referring to his mother's second husband as 'father', but he hardly cared as of the moment.

Mr. Migawa gave him a twisted smile as he advanced towards him. "Yes.. yes of course. You don't want to remember that place anymore, right? Hana-kun?" He whispered at the boy's ear.

Hanamichi sighed dejectedly, eyes glistening with unshed tears. He knew he had no choice. His 'father' had him by the throat. He stepped backwards and faced the man before him.

"Wakarimashita. Everything will go according to the plan, otou-san."

The man smiled his distorted smile once again and patted Hanamichi on the head. "Good, Hana-kun. Good boy..."

tsuzuku 

Ah.. this is turning out as an angst fic -_-;; I knew I couldn't stray too much from that. I guess you could consider this kinda AU-ish too. Oh, to all who reviewed, thanks so much! *hugs* Yes yes, I don't think too highly of my writing, and this wasn't beta-ed too so I apologize for any mistakes whatsoever. And yeah, I'm no native speaker of English, obviously ^^;;

I hope this chapter wasn't too hateful, ehe ^^;;


	3. Drei

+ + +

Sakuragi Hanamichi had been staring at the empty space inside his room for what seemed like an eternity. He wasn't particularly coherent at the moment, what with thoughts of his 'father' and the confrontation with Rukawa earlier kept clashing in his poor mind. He didn't know what disturbed him more -- his father's lunacy, or the kitsune's weird behavior as they were cleaning up.

He had to admit that it wasn't fair though, the way he treated the fox-boy so coldly, but he had no choice. At first he was shocked, as if he had been slapped on the face or someone had dropped a bucket of ice-cold water on him. Those would probably be more acceptable than hearing the object of his 'hatred' sounding so concerned for him. 

Sakuragi knew better than to keep his guard down; dragging the stoic lad into his own mess, or anyone he knew for that matter, wasn't exactly part of his plan. It would be better for Rukawa to just mind his own business, he decided, so he told the poor boy off before things got ugly. 

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little bothered by the other boy's actions. Why did he care anyway? It wasn't like they were friends. Sure, they were teammates, but that didn't mean they display camaraderie in most of their time together. Unless of course, one could call the exchanging of insults and bickering an act of comradeship. Not to mention the physical fights that left them almost half-dead. 

He had declared to himself and the gundan a long time ago that the only feeling he felt for the raven-head boy was sheer loathing. One Akagi Haruko was enough justification. Sakuragi always had a weakness for sweetness, so he could only guess why the said girl had a damning effect on him. But then, he realized, sweetness wasn't enough to save his marred soul. Akagi Haruko would always be special to him, a special friend he could be at ease with, one he could rely on, someone he cared for.. but nothing more. He didn't love Haruko; no, he stopped loving a long time ago. Love couldn't fix everything, his 'father' told him once. And Sakuragi understood. He learned the hard, painful way.

Now that his feelings for their captain's sister had been settled, he didn't know what's left for him and Rukawa. What did he really feel for the boy anyway? He knew he didn't really 'hate' him. Sure, the so-called super rookie's indifference had gotten on his nerves in most occasions and the insults Rukawa frequently threw at him had sparked his short temper that led to violent fights but that didn't mean he truly hated the guy. 

But he sure had been caught off guard a while ago. He didn't even know why the other had bothered to question him about that. Yes, his transformation was very apparent, enough to shaken the whole school's population. He had a notorious reputation after all, so he couldn't really blame them if they found the whole idea baffling and outrageous. Even the fox-boy.

Sakuragi had underestimated him though. He didn't know the boy could see through him like that. He could still feel those sapphire-blue eyes holding him in a piercing gaze. It was a little scary for him -- being gazed at like that. It felt like Rukawa was prying, not just in his mind, but in his soul. He found the very idea alarming.

Shifting to his side, Sakuragi raised the silk sheets up to his shoulders. He knew sleep wouldn't be coming any time soon, but he willed himself to anyway. He still had school tomorrow, and he had to deal with everyone and everything yet again. He decided to shove all thoughts of the fox-boy out of his head and shut his eyes close.

+ + +

Rukawa Kaede was not stupid. He wasn't really. Sure, he didn't do very well at school which most probably stemmed from dozing off every so often during class or just plain lack of interest in anything academics-related. But he was not stupid.

Yet he decided to act on impulse that very moment, without for a second, thinking how to go about his plan. The idea of confronting Youhei Mito and demanding to know the whole truth about his do'ahou was very clear -- a well-constructed plan in his opinion. But how could he, when he didn't even know where the said boy lived?

A completely magnificent move, he thought dryly. Now that plan 'A' was out of the question, and plan 'B' was still 'pending' as of the moment due to lack of crucial data, the super-rookie Rukawa Kaede was clueless on his next step. 

He angrily kicked a pebble sitting innocently near the gutter, pissed at his idiocy. Witching hour was almost near, yet he wandered around aimlessly in an attempt to come up with another idea. 

"--Bah, next time you're gonna get it!"

"You're the one to talk!"

"Shut up fat boy!!!"

Rukawa shifted his glance to the source of the voices. He knew he had heard them somewhere, but he couldn't be too sure. He decided to investigate and walked closer to the park where he thought the sounds could be located.

And he got lucky.

The Sakuragi gundan were busily arguing (as always) about their Pachinko game earlier that they didn't notice a certain raven-head boy walking up to them. Well, three of them anyway. Youhei, upon sensing his presence, halted on his steps, causing the others to bump on his back and stumble down on the concrete.

"Hey!" Takamiya shouted in an annoyed tone. "What the hell did you stop for??!"

Youhei ignored him and walked towards the boy ahead of them. "Mito." Upon hearing his name, the boy nodded at him, signaling the start of their private conversation which they both knew, was long overdue.

The non-verbal agreement between Rukawa and Youhei had been lost on the remaining gundan as their confused eyes trailed behind the two disappearing figures. They guessed it probably had something to do with their 'redhead monkey' but a single question remained etched in their minds.

What's Rukawa got to do with it?

When they were finally out of earshot, Rukawa turned to Youhei and gave him a look that the boy knew better than to ignore. Youhei nodded in agreement and sat on a nearby bench.

"Where do you want me to start?" He asked.

Rukawa leaned on a lamp post and crossed his arms. "You decide. I want to know _everything_." He could feel the fox-boy's eyes fixed on him in a burning gaze.

He sighed and faced the aforementioned boy. "Okay." He started. "I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Wait." Rukawa walked towards the bench and stopped in front of a confused Youhei. "Why are agreeing to this? Shouldn't you be telling me off because I, of all people, have nothing to do with this?"

Youhei stood up and faced the tall boy, his eyes betraying nothing. "Because you do have something to do with this, no matter how hard you try to keep it from me. I know your secret Rukawa, you can't hide what you feel..." He paused. "..for him."

The shorter boy returned to his seat once again and continued. "Believe me, I would have tried to solve everything by myself if I could. But my support alone wouldn't be enough to heal him. He needs you Rukawa. Your love." 

Rukawa shifted his eyes on the ground and sighed. "But he doesn't know that, does he? And he doesn't feel the same way.."

"He doesn't realize it yet." The fox-boy looked up to meet Youhei's eyes, honesty so evident in those pools that he could feel hope welling inside him once more. "That's why he needs you to show him, he needs you to make him understand that he's very special to someone, besides me. He needs you to heal him Rukawa, to love him."

"I understand. Thank you, for trusting me." He said softly as Youhei gave him a faint smile. He strode towards the bench and sat beside the shorter boy. "Now," he began, "tell me everything I need to know."

+ + +

"Ne, ne.. mite mite!!" A girl squealed in delight as she grabbed her friend's arm. "Hora, there's Sakuragi Hanamichi now!"

The other girl turned to the direction of the said boy, her reaction not any different from her friend. "Eeeh! Hontou!"

As the former 'redhead' disappeared around the hall, the girls gave a dreamy sigh. "Ne," the other started, "isn't it sugoi? How he suddenly changed like that? I never knew the Sakuragi Hanamichi we know is even capable of looking decent! Not to mention how polite and gentlemanly he is these days!"

The other girl giggled and nodded her head in agreement. "I know! Who would've thought that he could actually act like a human! He was such a monkey before! But now...."

Both girls squealed in excitement once more. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of brown eyes had been silently watching the whole scene.

When she was sure the girls were out of sight already, Haruko stepped out from her hiding place and sighed in relief. She was just passing by after getting her school shoes from the lockers when she heard voices talking about the reason of her sleeplessness these days. Sakuragi Hanamichi.

She had to admit though, even she was flabbergasted at the change. Sure, she liked the said boy before when he was still the energetic and cheerful tensai that he was, but only as a friend. Now, she didn't know if her feelings for the boy was still something platonic, or beyond that. Even so, she felt something strange with the boy's actions lately. Haruko knew she wasn't exactly the keen type; an earthquake could have occurred before her and she wouldn't have noticed it unless someone pointed it out for her. Especially if a certain raven-head, fox-boy was near. Rukawa Kaede would have all the spotlight and the world could've died and suffered for all she cared.

But she had noticed it. It was too weird to even acknowledge as normal. She didn't want to doubt her 'red-headed' friend but she has to admit that it was all too overwhelming and perhaps, a little suspicious. 

Stopping in front of her classroom, Haruko opened the door and greeted her friends as she walked towards them. She decided it would be better to talk to someone about Sakuragi. Perhaps she could ask her Ayako-senpai about the matter.

tsuzuku


	4. Fier

+ + +

The bed moaned and groaned as the figure under the sheets twisted and turned restlessly. Finally accepting defeat, his eyes opened as he willed himself to sit up. Cold sweat trickled from his temples down to his porcelain cheek and neck, glistening and sparkling from what little light the moon offered him . He drew himself closer to the wall behind him, using it as a support and stared vacantly at the darkness that surrounded his form. A weary sigh escaped his thin, pale lips as he recalled his confrontation with Youhei Mito the night before.

__

The park was usually devoid of people at such an ungodly hour yet two teenagers were currently occupying a bench near one of the lamp posts, the taller one silently listening as the shorter boy relayed the events concerning his best friend's past, his low voice filling the heavy silence.

"This may sound surprising to you, or maybe even crazy" Youhei began as he turned to face the pale boy beside him, "but Hanamichi's surname isn't really Sakuragi." He paused, waiting for a reaction from the aforementioned boy. Seeing Rukawa giving him an encouraging nod, he continued. "Toyama Hanamichi, that's his real name."

"Toyama?" The pale boy repeated, frowning a little as he tried to recall the seemingly familiar name. "Isn't that the former name of one of the largest companies here in Japan? The one currently monopolizing the real estate industry?" Rukawa paused as his sapphire-blue eyes widened in realization. "You mean, Hanamichi is the son of that rich tycoon who owns Toyama group?"

"Yes." Youhei answered, sighing exasperatedly as he continued. "Toyama Kazuma, is the owner of one of the largest and top real estate corporations in Japan, and as I've mentioned earlier, Hanamichi's father."

Youhei would have laughed at the fox-boy's current state of shock if not for the seriousness of their conversation. As it was, Rukawa had no idea that his do'ahou belonged to that category. The information presented to him by the shorter boy was too much for him to digest. 

Recovering from the shocking discovery he made a while ago, Rukawa finally voiced out the question he had been meaning to ask. "But, isn't it that the Toyama group has been changed to Migawa group?" Rukawa asked, one eyebrow arching up in suspicion. 

The shorter boy gave a long, suffering sigh before facing the pale boy once more. "Yes, Toyama group is now known as Migawa group. You see, Hanamichi's father… well.."

"What?" Rukawa asked in an annoyed tone, his growing curiosity and impatience taking over him.

Youhei decided not to stall the story any further. "Toyama Kazuma died." The shorter boy stood up before continuing. "But it didn't end there. You must be wondering what Toyama-san's death has to do with the company name changing."

Walking towards the nearby lamp post and kicking a pebble in the process, he continued. "You see, even though Toyama-san owns the company, he doesn't manage everything. Toyama-san appointed a president and CEO for the group, someone he could rely on and could trust the company's welfare with." He paused. "And that person is Migawa Ichiro."

"After Toyama-san died, the company's ownership had been passed to his wife, Akiko-san. Akiko-san still had Migawa-san at her side so her husband's death hadn't affected the company's status much. It stayed that way until four years later, when Akiko-san was remarried to none other than the company's president and CEO, Migawa-san."

When the shorter boy paused again, Rukawa took this chance to interrupt with a question. "Wait, how old is Hanamichi that time?"

Youhei leaned at the lamp post as he answered. "When Toyama-san died, he was five. So I guess that would make him nine then." The pale boy nodded in understanding and motioned Youhei to proceed.

"Anyway," Youhei continued, "when Akiko-san was remarried to Migawa-san, the ownership and full management of the company was transferred to him, by Akiko-san's decision as well, since she trusted Migawa-san. So until now, the company is owned and being controlled by Migawa Ichiro, the owner, president and CEO of the Migawa group."

Youhei's face turned grave at the next words. "But that's only half of the story."

Rukawa stood up as well, walking towards the shorter boy as he spoke. "I know. It still doesn't explain Hanamichi's current situation."

A weary sigh escaped Youhei's lips yet again. "Listen, since it's getting pretty late and somehow, I don't feel the park is the right place to talk about this, why don't we just go to my place? It's not very far from here. Besides, I don't want to risk any of the information leaking out."

"Suit yourself. I don't mind as long as you tell me the rest of the stuff I need to know."

"Okay then, let's go. It's chillin' out here." Youhei tightened his jacket around him as he turned to walk towards the direction of his apartment, the tall, pale boy trailing behind him. They had walked in silence, except for the sound of their own footsteps, until they arrived at the shorter boy's place. Youhei motioned Rukawa to enter as soon as his keys clicked in place.

Closing the wooden door, the shorter boy finally spoke up. "Go make yourself comfortable." He uttered softly while removing his shoes at the genkan, one hand gesturing to the sofa. After changing into his slippers, he followed the pale boy to the living room. "Want something to eat? Drink maybe?" He asked courteously. 

The pale boy shook his head and declined. "No, thanks. I'm fine. Let's just get this over with."

Youhei sighed for the nth time as he nodded in reply. He walked towards Rukawa and sat from across the aforementioned boy. "So, where were we?"

The fox-boy crossed his arms and rested his back on the couch. "The part where Migawa Ichiro married Hana's mom."

"Yes." Youhei's eyes darkened as he recalled the events that occurred after that. "Migawa-san had full control of the company upon marrying Toyama Akiko-san. For about a year and a half everything went fine until Akiko-san's tragic accident."

"Accident?" Rukawa repeated, his tone full of suspicion. 

"Yes. Akiko-san died in a car accident." Youhei told the pale boy gravely. "So Hanamichi, was left in the hands of Migawa-san since his biological parents died, and of course, Migawa-san's his step-father." He paused. "Though he didn't exactly played that part well."

Rukawa frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Youhei gripped the soft material covering his couch as he spoke. "You see, Hanamichi suffered greatly at the hands of that bastard. He was abusing Hanamichi." 

The pale boy felt his heart constrict at the newly discovered information. 'His Hana..? Abused? How?'

As if hearing Rukawa's thoughts, Youhei continued. "Migawa-san was a powerful man; he's the type who knows what he wants and how to get it. Perhaps even bordering insanity, from what I heard. He gets this deranged, twisted kind of satisfaction from being in power. I believe the reason why he married Akiko-san was to gain that, and so he could use it for his illegal weaponry and drug trade with the yakuza. Of course, taking over the entire company was the easiest way to do it. And believe me, he would go to the highest lengths just so he can in total power. The death of Hana's parents was proof of that, though I don't have a concrete evidence. But all those mysterious deaths point out to him anyway, or those yakuza associates of his."

"And Hanamichi.." He paused as pain reflected in his eyes. "He made Hana's life hell. Migawa-san abused him physically… as well as sexually. He kept young Hana locked up in his room like a prisoner, except when he needed to go to the study to meet with his tutor. Migawa-san stopped Hanamichi from schooling like a normal kid, see, and kept the poor boy inside that alcatraz he calls mansion."

Rukawa's eyes darkened in loathing. 'That bastard.. how could he do something like that to Hana?!' The pale boy restrained himself from violently reacting and let Youhei continue.

"That went on for about two years until Hanamichi couldn't take it anymore. He decided to escape his step-father's clutches." Youhei rested his back on the couch as well and stared vacantly at the ceiling. "And he succeeded. Although he hasn't particularly told me how."

"Wait." Rukawa managed to voice out calmly despite the rage he felt welling up inside him. "How did you two end up together?"

Youhei allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he recalled his first meeting with Hanamichi. "I was in junior high then, just on my way to school when I got caught up in a fight with some thugs trying to steal my lunch money. Back then I was already friends with Noma, Ookusu and Takamiya, but they weren't with me that time and those bastards were giving me a hard time. One guy was already drawing a pocket knife and was moving towards me. The others pinned me on the wall, rendering me helpless as this guy with the knife advanced towards me. I thought I had no more chance of getting out of that mess when suddenly, this tall guy appeared out of nowhere." He paused, chuckling softly as he continued. "I swear, this guy knocked out the punk with the knife in one killer swat.. like he was just dealing with an insect or something. The others were dumbfounded; when they finally recovered from their shock seeing their leader sporting some really nasty head bruises, they tried to escape but of course, this tall guy never let them. Two head- butts and they were all lying on the concrete, unconscious and steam emanating from where they were hit."

"Very typical of him." Rukawa commented in slight amusement, though he was still struggling not to show it.

The shorter boy looked at him and shook his head a little, a wistful smile forming on his lips. "Yeah. That's the first time I met him, and I wouldn't be able to forget that day, even if I tried. I owed Hanamichi my life. Anyway, after that we kinda started talking and got to know each other a little more. I learned that he ran away from home and had no place to stay, though I didn't think it was that serious that time. So I offered my place to him since I was living alone anyway and my apartment's big enough for two. Told him he could just chip in with the food and some other stuff, though I didn't exactly pressured him on that."

"Everything went fine up until we started high school. I forgot to tell you that the name Hanamichi used when we met was 'Sakuragi Hanamichi'. He changed his name, but I found out the truth eventually. He trusted me and I trusted him. Our happy days ended a couple of days ago though." Youhei's eyes narrowed in fury as he relayed the next events. "Migawa-san managed to locate Hanamichi."

"Nani?!" Rukawa couldn't contain his feelings any longer.

Youhei sighed and rested his elbows on his knees in defeat, eyes closed as his hands rubbed his temples. "We couldn't do anything.. I couldn't do anything. You saw right? You saw how he was when he came to school this morning. Now… now he's at that bastard's mercy once more. He had to.. he had to obey or Hanamichi will suffer the consequences."

The pale boy stood up abruptly, finally venting out the rage he had been keeping a while ago. "Why couldn't you do anything??! Hanamichi's your friend!!" He shouted at Youhei accusingly.

The shorter boy's eyes flew open in rage, mirroring Rukawa's. "You think I didn't wanna do anything?? You think I just wanna leave him there in the hands of that bastard??" Youhei stood up and threw his arms upward in exasperation. "For god's sakes Rukawa!! If I could have prevented it I would!! But who do you think am I, huh? You think a loser kid like me has a fucking chance with someone as powerful as that bastard?? God!" Dark blue eyes closed as he sat down once again, hands reaching up to relieve the gnawing pain in his head.

Rukawa sat down from across Youhei, calming himself up a little. "I'm sorry… it's just, I-I was just…"

"It's okay Rukawa. It's okay…."

But both of them knew it wasn't.

He could feel the beginnings of a headache as he recalled his previous exchange with Youhei. It was too much for him – he couldn't even begin to imagine what that bastard Migawa had put his Hana through. He swore to himself the minute he parted ways with Youhei after their talk that he would do everything in his power to save Hanamichi.

Youhei almost laughed at him when he told the boy that he was willing to do everything – anything, just so they could release Hanamichi from Migawa's clutches. But the shorter boy missed a very vital information. He himself had not realized it earlier.

He dragged himself out of bed and fixed himself up. Rukawa knew that getting some sleep was something unattainable at the moment. He might as well do something useful with his time. 

He decided it was time to pay his uncle a visit.

+ + +

__

"And, Shohoku scores once more!" The buzzer sounded off, signaling the end of the first half. Players from both Ryonan and Shohoku returned to their appointed rooms for rest.

The game had been an intense one, what with Sakuragi Hanamichi surprising not only his teammates but the players from the other team as well. Even the whole crowd were baffled at the amazing display of skills the 'redhead' was showing them. And not to mention the sudden change of his image which resulted on him having a his very own cheering squad. It was too much for everyone who knew him.

But they could never compare with what two certain boys were currently feeling as of the moment. One from the bleachers together with the audience, and the other inside the locker room together with the aforementioned 'redhead'.

Rukawa sighed as he watched the object of his affections warily. Hanamichi's performance in this game was even better than he had imagined. The boy wasn't able to attend their practice game with Ryonan due to some unfinished business, although he had some idea what that 'unfinished business' might be. Rukawa grimaced at the thought. 

Hanamichi's new image as well as his awesome display of skills shocked the Ryonan team. He allowed himself to smirk a little as he recalled the famous Ryonan ace face-faulting when Hanamichi managed to outdo him on the court. And boy, was it pricless. Even the guy named Fukuda and their team captain Uozumi couldn't do a thing to stop his Hana. And as a result, the first half ended with them ahead by fifteen points.

But nobody knew except for him and Youhei what caused all these changes. And even if they did, they would only hear the 'good stuff', missing the part where the bastard Migawa had abused and tortured Hanamichi until the poor boy ran away. And of course, the dealings with yakuza wasn't something they would happily advertise as well.

It was a good thing his uncle had connections with the FBI, working with the Metropolitan Police Department and all. They had been tracking down some guy named Hayashi which they believed was the 'oyabun', or the 'father' of the faction. They also believed it was the guy Hanamichi's step-father had been dealing and trading with.

Rukawa wiped some sweat trickling from his temples to his neck as he gulped the last drops of his bottled water. Youhei and him decided they would confront Hanamichi and settle things with him before the situation gets ugly. 'Or uglier..' He added gravely in his mind.

+ + +

__

"SAKURAGI!!! SAKURAGI!!! L-O-V-E SAKURAGI!!!" Hanamichi's new cheering squad squealed as they waved their pompoms and danced without any shame. All were dressed in some sort of uniform – red and white top and skirt with 'LOVE ME SAKURAGI' written all over it. The 'leaders', who were in front and leading the whole cheer were dressed totally in red though, each of the syllables of Hanamichi's surname written all over their tops, mirroring the Rukawa Shinetai's.

The crowd roared wildly as Hanamichi made his way to their side of the court, dribbling the ball in one hand as he succeeded in breaking past Sendoh's defense. Only one more second was left as he dunked the ball soundly onto the basket. The buzzer sounded off loudly, signaling the end of the game with Shohoku winning by ten points.

"Woo-hoo!!! Nice one Hanamichi!!" Miyagi Ryota pulled the aforementioned boy in a headlock as he ruffled Hanamichi's hair playfully. Mitsui, Akagi and the others also gathered around him to praise and congratulate him for his amazing performance.

Even some of the Ryonan players, particularly Sendoh and Uozumi, advanced towards the other team in an attempt to congratulate the boy. "Nice game Sakuragi." Sendoh smiled good-naturedly as he offered a hand to the aforementioned boy. He expected Hanamichi to just laugh loudly and boast on how great he was on court and how he managed to defeat him. But the boy just took his hand quietly and mumbled a soft reply of gratitude. "Arigatou."

Hanamichi turned to his teammates and excused himself. "Minna, sumimasen. I'm really exhausted right now. I'll just be in the locker room, resting, in case anyone needs me. De wa, o saki ni." At that he walked away and he made his way to the lockers, eyes filled with shock trailing behind his retreating figure. 

Blue eyes still locked on Hanamichi's retreating form, Sendoh voiced out the question he had been meaning to ask. "Was.. was that really Sakuragi?"

Confused eyes and reactions met him instead. "Don't ask us. We don't know either."

Rukawa had witnessed the not-so-shocking exchange and decided to meet up with Youhei already. He knew his teammates as well as the others had a lot of questions regarding Hanamichi's weird behavior but he knew too well that it would be better if the others have yet to find out about Hanamichi's current situation. Or it would be a lot better if they didn't find out at all. The dark side of his 'royalty', specifically.

The pale boy made his way out of the court quietly to meet up with Youhei. The sooner they meet, the sooner they could confront Hanamichi and find a way to get him out of that serious mess. 

'Wait for us Hana… wait for me..' 

****

+tsuzuku+

Ah, I'm sorry for the delay! *bows* I hope this chapter isn't too crappy.. I've been bombarded with hell-ish stuff lately (papers, exams and all). It had been one bloody month for poor me.. *sighs* Again, please excuse my poor writing skills… *sulks*

I hope this chapter explained Hanamichi's current situation. More surprises and shocking revelations will come out in the next chaps though.. *winks* Oh, and for the one who asked if I studied German or just got it from Weiβ… I took three units of Deutsch, and that was a sem ago. Not much eh? I'm still studying Japanese though, cus it's one of my majors ^_^;;

For all those who reviewed, arigatou gozaimashita!! *bows* Hontou ni tasukarimashita ^_^ 

__


	5. Fünf

+ + +

As soon as he entered the locker room, Hanamichi slumped down on the floor. His breath came in desperate gasps, as if he had been holding it back on his way from the court. His trembling hands rose up to cradle his sweat-slicked face, the roars and cheers from outside hardly reached his ears as series of thoughts swirled in his mind.

__

What the hell am I doing?

His arms dropped on the floor, his fists clenched as mixture of tears and sweat trickled from his face down to his lap. He wanted to scream, wanted to thrash around and destroy everything in sight but he couldn't. Because he's a Migawa. And a Migawa must be composed and presentable in every way.. in any time.

__

Who am I, really? Who the fuck am I??!

He hated that name. It was the name that took away his parents, his identity, his _innocence_. It was the name that used their wealth for vile purposes. It murdered him.. killed the happy, carefree Toyama Hanamichi he once had been.

His step-father didn't waste much time after he was retrieved. Before Hanamichi ran away he knew little of what his step-father might have been busying himself with, their corporation aside. Now there was no doubt that Migawa Ichiro had been dealing with the yakuza. The notorious organization eliminated his rivals while in turn, his black market businesses kept them in wealth and power. 

Last night had been one of his worst. His step-father had him "trained" for the first time and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Hanamichi had seen his step-father's men in action – while they tortured and brutally killed a rumored spy of one of Migawa Ichiro's enemies he had been stoned to the ground to merely "watch" and "learn". _"It's better I get you exposed to these things as early as possible. You'd be filling their positions in no time son! In no time, it would become routine for you…"_ His step-father had told him. Hanamichi wanted to hit him then, wanted to scream at him that he wasn't and will never be a son of a drug-dealing, money-laundering sicko and he would never partake in anything as sickening as that. But he couldn't; not because he wasn't capable of doing it, but because he wasn't allowed to. The minute his name had been changed to Migawa, his whole existence had been marked forever – marked as Migawa Ichiro's property.

He shook his head in disgust. _Toy is more like it…. _

After the gruesome display, he was taught how to handle weapons and was forced to fire a Walter PPK on the previously violated and immobile body. It didn't matter to them if the man was already dead. It was a perfect target for a beginner, according to his step-father's men, since it was _inanimate_ and provided a much better target than paper.

He unwillingly complied and for the first time in his life he truly felt sick of himself. His eyes were stinging of unshed tears as he witnessed how the bullets continuously punctured the poor man's chest, or whatever's left of it. He silently watched as the dark puddle beneath the man's body grew wider.. crawling until it reached his shoes. He had thrown that pair away the minute he got home. He burned the rest of his clothes along with it and drowned the tears he had been holding back in the shower. He almost peeled his skin off as he rubbed his body roughly, wanting to rid of the dirty blood stains. But he knew he could never erase the mar in his soul. He could never undo what was done.

When he finished he changed into his night clothes and deposited himself to bed. He didn't even notice when hands started caressing his thighs and chest as his step-father's raspy voice whispered praises to him. He didn't care when his step-father slowly undressed him, trailed kisses from his jaw, to his navel, and lower. He didn't feel tears storm his cheeks and the searing pain in his lower body as his father took him; the internal stabbing his heart was subjected to drowned any physical feeling he felt at the moment. All he could do was comply like he was supposed to. Like a docile pet.

His tiredness took over him and he fell asleep even before his step-father was finished with him. He figured it was better – he wouldn't have to throw up in disgust as the man cried in release. But Hanamichi knew he couldn't forget. He would never be able to forget, even if he tried to.

Hanamichi punched the floor hard before drowning himself in his own arms. It was the only thing that gave him comfort besides basketball. Nobody could offer him help, not even Youhei. Not even Rukawa.

__

Kitsune. The familiar nickname left him with misery instead of solace. He couldn't push thoughts of the boy away, much as he tried to. Every time he closed his eyes, the piercing gaze of those sapphire-blue orbs haunted him. He didn't understand why the boy had to interfere. Rukawa hated him, didn't he? So why the hell bother? 

Envy? Perhaps. Hanamichi didn't know the other boy's motives but whatever they were, he decided it didn't matter. _It doesn't concern him anyway, so why bother dragging him into this mess?_

Hanamichi gave an audible sigh as he stood up. He knew it was the right thing to do yet he could feel a soft tug somewhere in his heart, as if telling him that the other boy was as much a part of this mess as him. He ignored the feeling as he got some clean towels and fixed himself up. It wasn't the time to dwell on that matter, he decided. He had more important things to ponder on than muse about his passive teammate's actions. 

Like killing Migawa Ichiro with his own hands.

+ + +

I'm sorry this chap came out late. I've been busy with schoolwork and didn't have time to update any of my fics. Anyways, thanks for all those who reviewed and are still reading this. I'm working on the next chapter now but I still don't know when I'll be able to update. I hope you all bear with me. 


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